Of Grandfathers and Reminiscence
by kyoandyuya
Summary: Where Sarada and Madara, along with Obito, discuss the issue of Sarada's parentage, particularly about her mother; Madara complains, and Obito bears the brunt of it. Implied Sasusaku, and hint of Madatsu.


This is my first ever fic. It will probably be a two-shot.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Credits to Masashi Kishimoto

Beta read by Ombree

* * *

Where Sarada and Madara, along with Obito, discuss the issue of Sarada's parentage, particularly about her mother; Madara complains, and Obito bears the brunt of it.

Note: I am using the premise that the revived dead characters in this story doesn't remember the time they spent in the Pure Land and made up the relationship between the Second Mizukage and the Hozuki brothers.

Takes place after Gaiden. Semi-au. Canon divergence.

* * *

It had been a week since the anomalous portal to the afterlife opened and sucked in a very particular group of people back to the world of the living, four of the dead Hokage and two of the most well-known Uchiha — Madara and Obito. Madara's presence is the one to cause hackles to rise within one of the Neo-Sannin.

Sakura knows Madara to be a changed man prior to his death during the war, but she is still not comfortable with him around, and does not want to take any chances now that she has a daughter to take care of by herself. Sasuke has yet to return from his mission and it's up to her to protect their daughter until he finally comes back. This new development, she has no doubt, will make his return happen sooner.

Naruto, for his part, is accepting of all the individuals. The years have not changed him much. He is still very optimistic and trusting. He is the one that arranges for where they are to stay until they have found a solution to the problem. A thorough investigation of the portal leaves everyone scratching their heads on what it could be, why it had appeared, and why of all people the former four dead Hokage and the two Uchiha have been brought back.

The two Uchiha are automatically selected to stay with their kin, while the Hokage stay in a single apartment. Sakura does not mind Obito and while she accepts Madara's presence she is still wary of him. She is certain that Obito will help if Madara goes out of his way to cause havoc. Still, seeing as the man is indifferent to everything, she is willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. 

Now here they are a week later. The two Uchiha spend their time lounging in the living room while Sarada and Sakura are out for the day. Madara and Obito are watching the television and getting updated with the latest events and whatever shows that grab their attention.

It is during Madara's hundredth rant about how trashy the show's plot and characters are when Sarada comes home from training. Obito, who had retreated earlier to the kitchen to serve himself some snacks and avoid hearing the older Uchiha's complaints, silently thanks the heavens for a new distraction. Madara turns off the television bored out of his wits and looking for a new entertainment.

"I'm home!" Sarada calls out to the new house occupants.

"Welcome back!" Obito replies cheerfully returning from the kitchen carrying a jar of cookies, and sitting beside Madara on the circular couch.

"Hn." Madara nods to his descendant.

Sarada sits to Obito's left exhausted and too tired to go to her room. Obito passes her some of the cookies, which she gratefully accepts. He sets the jar on the glass table before asking Sarada about her day.

"How was your training today?"

Sarada shrugs. "It was okay, I guess. It's still the same old routine with Boruto being an idiot and Mitsuki smiling in the background."

Obito chuckles at this. "So, he really is his father's son. Naruto was also quite the troublemaker back in those days. I've heard he defaced the monument as a child."

Sarada perks up at this. "Really? Can you tell me more?"

"I can't tell you more. You would have to ask your mother about his antics when he was a child. She was his former teammate."

"Eh, but why? Weren't you present in the village back then?"

"No."

"Why?"

Both the Uchiha exchange glances, and Obito uncomfortably replies, "Well, I really can't tell you that."

It was an arranged rule in the household to not tell Sarada about anything that may lead to the truth behind the massacre. Sakura had made sure that the new occupants knew not to spill anything. It was to be something to be discussed only after she is old enough to handle the truth. Neither men disagree with her. That is why they try their best to control what they say around Sarada. 

Before anything else is said, Madara butts in, "Why are you wearing glasses? It is uncommon for an Uchiha to wear them."

"Tch. Have you forgotten the Uchiha are prone to blindness?" Obito sneers.

Frowning Madara replies, "I know that, brat, but it only happens after overusing the Mangekyo Sharingan. Surely you haven't forgotten that fact?"

Obito scowls, "Of course I haven't. However, it is still possible that there were Uchiha who suffered with the same ailment back in the day."

With an eyebrow raised, Madara notes, "In my day, there were no Uchiha who wear glasses."

"Yeah, because in your day there were no glasses, only blind Uchiha — you included," Obito bits back icily.

This comment spurs a heated argument between the two men. Sarada smiles, watching their antics, opting to watch from the sidelines in silence.

A few exchange words later, Madara turns to Sarada. "Hm. In any case, I do hope this will not hinder the development of our clan's famed dojutsu."

At that, Sarada answers. "...uh, well, I already obtained the Sharingan."

The two older Uchiha focus their attention on her intrigued.

"How did that happen?" Obito asks.

"Well..." 

Sarada tells them all about her experiences: her father's absence, her mother's secrecy, and the discovery of the controversial photo that had her questioning everything about her mother's true identity.

She shows them the photo in question with both men scrutinizing it like a hawk.

"Let me make sure I understand this, but are you saying that a woman wearing an identical glasses to yours, and who was next to your father... was the cause of why you questioned who your true mother is?"

Obito shifts on the couch clutching the photo in his right hand.

Madara, on the other hand, is frozen in disbelief.

"Uh, yeah," Sarada answers sheepishly.

A tense silence permeates the room. Sarada glances at the two men and finds them giving her mix reactions.

Obito is offering her a pandering smile with a smidgen of pity and amusement in his eyes.

Madara remains frozen with his mouth hanging open. She strains her eyes to look at him more carefully, and notices him having mini seizures. The shock must be so great to elicit that reaction from him, she muses. Then again, he could also just be an overly dramatic an individual. She never thought the legendary Uchiha clan head would be such a drama king.

( _If only she knew..._ ) 

In the end, Madara unfreezes and breaks the silence. "Please tell me I did not hear that correctly."

Obito groans and face-palms with the hand holding the picture. "No, we really did hear that correctly."

"Are you telling me you doubted your mother's identity all because of a pair of glasses, worn by a woman standing next to your father, look identical to yours?! Of all the —!"

"Whoa! Stop right there! We get it okay?! That was crazy, and I'm sure Sarada knows that now! Cut her some slack! She was upset at that time! She wasn't thinking straight!"

"Hmph! The next generation of Uchiha is hopeless!"

"Like you were hopeless?"

"Do you think you're in any position to talk?"

"As they say, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

"I'll have you know, I'm much better than —" 

While the men bicker about the sheer wrongness of that situation and all about being an Uchiha and whatnot, Sarada is so embarrassed she wants to either flee or for the ground to swallow her up. Now that she thought about it, her reasoning really had been stupid. At that time, she had been so distraught she didn't stop to think if her idea is logical. All that mattered to her then was the woman's glasses.

'Stupid glasses!'

No wonder her mother called her silly. Hearing her reason for doubting her parentage must have been ridiculous to both her parents. The thought embarrasses her even more.

While she is busy contemplating her mistake both men finish their banter. With a huff they now turn their attention back to her.

"Listen," Obito starts, "We, your parents — particularly your father — and I, can't blame you for your mistake — except for our grouchy ancestor — because we've been there too. It may not be the same, but your loneliness must have been grave enough for you to take such a measure just to find out more about yourself. Don't worry about doing stupid things under such circumstances. Our clan is not exactly known for making logical conclusions while experiencing such events."

Patting her head with his left hand, he continues, "If it makes you feel better I witnessed firsthand the depths of your parent's bond during the war. Your father was trapped in another dimension, and your mother and I rescued him with all our might. We were able to find him but had run out of chakra before he could escape that dimension. Just when we thought that all of our efforts were for naught, your father's rinnegan teleported him to us. He switched places with your mother's vest, which she discarded earlier due to an acid outbreak from one of the dimensions we opened. It was at that point that I witnessed how strong their feelings were for each other."

Obito smiles with a hint of longing in his eyes. "Your father caught your mother after she collapsed from the exhaustion and held her to him. I swear, I had never seen such an intense connection exchanged with just eye contact. It gave me the impression that they were engaged in a conversation without words; that they understood each other so much that words weren't needed. The way they looked at each other made me feel like I intruded in a rather private moment meant to be shared only by them."

"It made me feel jealous, you know? I had always longed for a connection like that, but alas, some things were just not meant to be," Obito sighs sadly removing his hand, and slouching on the couch. 

The other two occupants in the room can see the pain Obito doesn't say. Sarada feels sad for him. She knows there is a story behind it, but she doesn't pry. It is simply not the time for such inquiries.

Madara, on the other hand, feels guilty. He knows exactly who Obito refers to and his role in it. He is basically the reason why the younger male is in pain. With guilt-ridden eyes, he reaches out and places his hand on the other man's shoulder.

"I'm sorry."

Obito is surprised. He doesn't take the older man to be capable of such a gesture at all, knowing him to be too arrogant for such an act. Yet, here he is handing him an apology that he knows is long overdue.

He states rather skeptically, brow lifting, "I didn't take you to be the type to apologize."

The other man removes his hand, crossing his arms, and dismissively replies, "Don't get used to it."

Sarada witnesses the exchange between the older Uchiha but doesn't understand the significance behind it. She guesses it is one of those things she is not, yet, meant to know.

She is a bit irritated that everyone still hides things from her. Yet, her heart also flutters knowing that her parent's love is so obvious even from an outsider's standpoint.

"Enough about me. Let's focus on this ridiculous debacle first. It has been resolved, yes?" Madara levels his stare on his granddaughter.

Sarada nods.

"Tell us the rest of the story. Full details. Now." 

So, Sarada continues to recount the rest of the events. She tells them on how she tries to confront her father about the truth and gets no answer; on how someone attacks them — who is later defeated by her mom with a single punch (this she boasts proudly) — and sucks her mother in a portal and kidnaps her; and the trip to a certain snake Sannin, Orochimaru. It is there that she gets the chance to speak with one of the people pictured in the photo and have a DNA test by comparing her sample to that of the umbilical cord, found in the mystery woman's desk, thought to belong to the woman.

The result of the test states perfect match much to her devastation. Lord Seventh consoles her and prevents her from abandoning everything. Bonds, he says, are not just about blood. It is about forming connections that transcend it. He makes her realize that the bond she shares with her "mother" is the real thing—even if she believes that she isn't her daughter at that moment. That strengthens her resolve to save her. She later demonstrates the same chakra control that her mother has, defeating many clones by punching the ground, to her astonishment.

After defeating the enemies, her mother once again clarifies to her that she really is her bonafide daughter. A claim she no longer doubts after her show of strength. She remembers how it was said that there are only two people capable of using chakra to enhance their strength—her mother being one of them. According to Aunt Shizune, it requires perfect chakra control to pull off. She also states that the control needed is something that can't be obtained through simple training, it has to be inherited.

With that thought, she turns to her father to ask him if he ever feels connected to her mother. His affirmation of "because we have you, Sarada" is enough confirmation that she really is not someone else's daughter, and that her parents love each other with her as the proof of it.

That is the time all doubts are laid to rest. 

With the story concluded, Madara begins to ask his questions, "You said someone tested your sample, is that person a medic-nin? Was he qualified to perform such a test?"

The question catches Sarada off guard, "I don't know. I didn't ask."

"What did he look like?" Obito questions.

"He has pale hair and sharp teeth."

Obito instantly recognizes this person. He recalls Sasuke's team having a member fitting that description. If he is not mistaken Sarada is referring to a certain Hozuki, who was the younger brother of the former leader of the legendary Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist, Mangetsu Hozuki.

"Ah, you're talking about Suigetsu Hozuki, and he is definitely not a medic."

He looks back at the photo and points out said man to his ancestor.

"A Hozuki, huh? I remember the second Mizukage to be a Hozuki. Are they perhaps closely related?" Madara shoots this question to Obito.

"Yes. A direct ancestor I believe."

"I see." 

He turns to Sarada, "That was your second mistake; the first was using glasses as proof. It still disgusts me recalling that, by the way. You let someone who didn't know what they were doing help you do the test. That is why he read the results wrong. You said it was a perfect match, yes? Well then, let me educate you. A parent-child DNA will normally result in a fifty-fifty match: one half from the mother, and the other half from the father's genes. A perfect match indicates that your DNA was tested against itself. This means that the sample used did not come from that woman but came from you."

"Here's a lesson: never trust idiots who are out of their field to guide you in life-changing events. The results are disastrous as proven in your situation."

Obito quietly laughs at that one. The irony behind that statement doesn't pass him unnoticed.

Judging by Madara's glare on him, he can tell the older man knows what he's thinking. Not that he cares.

After his silent laughter ceases Obito quips in, "That is true. You would have had better luck asking Orochimaru himself. Why didn't you?"

"Both Papa and Lord Seventh occupied his attention asking about our attacker, whom he called Shin Uchiha—one of his experiments if I remember correctly — and I thought asking one of the people in the photo would be more ideal."

"Shin Uchiha?" Madara drawls.

Sarada nods, "Yes. He possessed the Sharingan; it literally covered his upper body with it. I don't know much about it though. When he used it he opened a portal that could teleport him, and could easily exchange places with one of his mini clones."

"Ah, it's almost like my Kamui then."

"Kamui?" Sarada looks up questioningly at Obito.

"Yes. That is the ability of my Mangekyou Sharingan. It is unique with every Uchiha. Your father himself has the ability to manipulate Amaterasu, a flame that doesn't die until it consumes its target." 

Sarada stares at his eyes in fascination. 

Obito smiles and continues, "Let's talk about that later. Let me just say that I agree with Madara here. That was not a very good move on your part — part of it, anyway. You should've secured a more qualified individual for it, but I understand why you chose him. As one of the people in the photo, you naturally assumed he had answers."

"Your third mistake was to use a random sample found in someone's desk. I take it that you were not certain who it belonged to and just assumed it was from the glasses woman, who, by the way, is named Karin Uzumaki."

Sarada nods and takes note of the woman's name mentioned. Madara raises an eyebrow. "Another Uzumaki? It's astounding how the Uchiha, Senju, and Uzumaki are closely intertwined even to this day."

Obito turns to him and chuckles, "Yeah, well it certainly proves Naruto's statement to be true, at least a bit. I believe the blood connection between the three clans also played a part in it. Their fates have made them close to each other because of that—even if those connections had been tainted by conflicts throughout the centuries. Thankfully, the later generations reformed that into one free of hatred. Then again, the Uzumaki and Senju clans have been in good relations since your time — probably longer, being from the same progenitor."

"In Sasuke's case, he was a teammate of both Naruto and Karin at different times. He formed a bond with them that lasted to the present. His wife, Sakura, was the apprentice of Tsunade Senju. In other words, a Senju was responsible for training the new Uchiha matriarch. It's astonishing how fate works." 

Shrugging, he locks eyes with Sarada again, "There is a reason why it is taught that one should not jump to conclusions without proper knowledge. One must have adequate evidence and strong foundations to base any claims they have, and to justify how they reached their conclusions. It is even more important in the scientific and medical field. A simple mistake can be disastrous in research, or an experiment, or even kill a patient, and in your case, nearly turn you away from your family."

Madara adds his two cents in. "Yes. Apart from that, you and that brainless Hozuki just broke one of the most basic manners. You touched someone else's property without their knowledge and consent. That is rude and intrusive. I certainly hope that this incident helped you learn another lesson: only touch someone's property with their consent and supervision. Had you done that, things may have ended differently and that woman — Karin was it? — would have been the one to tell you the truth. Speaking of the woman, where was she when that happened?"

Sarada slumps on the couch and sighs. "She was away then. Suigetsu-san told me she was in one of Orochimaru-san's other bases, so she wasn't there when that happened."

"No wonder it got out of hand." Madara shakes his head. He still can't wrap his head around one of his kin using glasses — glasses of all the things! — to start their emotional journey to obtain the sharingan.

With an exasperated sigh, he says, "I expected so little from the new generation. I did not think it was possible to be disappointed with such a low standard in place. I shouldn't have been surprised. It's such a shame," he pinches the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache forming.

Sarada cringes and her mood once again plummets. Madara, sensing her growing more upset, stands up to approach her. He is not one for comfort, but his grandchild's distress pulls at his heart similar to how Izuna once elicited the need to be comforted during the rare times he found him in tears. 

A hand lands on her head, patting her. She jolts back and sees Madara kneeling in front of her, a soft look in his eyes. She didn't even see him move!

"A shame indeed, but one that would not be traded for the world. You are a precious child, not only as a new hope for the future of the clan but also for all the people who love you. I can see that your mother loves you very much. I have no doubt your father is the same."

He cups her face with the hand that was once on her head, turning it left to right, scrutinizing every part of it; his eyes hard once again.

"Hm. You really should have checked your bases first before you went on that silly endeavor — as beneficial as that turned out to be — starting with your physical appearance, has no one ever told you who you bore resemblance to?"

"Lord Seventh did. He told me I resemble my father in looks and my mother in personality." Sarada gazes back uncomfortably with the sharpness of his scrutiny on her.

"He is not wrong, but he is also not entirely correct. You inherited your father's eye and hair color, but everything else is that of your mother's. In fact, this forehead," he pokes her none too gently on said area, "should have been your first indicator of your mother's genes. Sasuke did not have a billboard brow for a forehead, and neither does that woman. Why you had bypassed this trait in favor of the glasses baffles me." 

He is about to add more when he notices Sarada's dazed look complete with a blush. Frowning, he pokes her forehead again.

"What is with that look child? Have you suddenly gone ill realizing the depths of your stupidity?"

No reply.

"Oi!" he barks when Sarada shows no sign of getting out of her daydreaming.

This snaps Sarada out of her reverie. Giggling, she replies to her now concerned ancestor. "It's nothing. It's just the forehead poke is papa's way of expressing his affection to mama and I. She even once called it better than a kiss when I asked her many years ago."

Madara is taken aback by her answer and is about to reply when Obito reminds them of his presence by laughing out loud.

"Better than a kiss?" he grins rather mischievously, wagging his eyebrows, "I thought it would be something naughtier, and involve the bedroom."

Madara's eye twitches.

Feeling playful, Sarada smirks evilly. Madara, seeing the smirk, is suddenly feeling a sense of apprehension and foreboding that he will not like what is to come... 

"Yeah, I actually told mama she was dirty when she first said that. She was so embarrassed her face was all red! She denied it rather vehemently too!" 

...and he's right. 

"What?!" Madara's scream of disbelief is followed by Obito's bouts of laughter and Sarada's giggles. His irritation of the situation reaches new heights. Knowing that his descendant activates her dojutsu because of a misunderstanding over glasses is one thing. 

But this? 

_Unacceptable._

By scrutinizing her words, he can see one fact that stands out: her mother doesn't seem to be surprised by her knowledge of sex, just that the statement is met with embarrassed denial.

Therefore, the one to corrupt Sarada at a young age is none other than her mother.

Madara grits his teeth, _damn that woman!_

He is about to go on a tirade about bad mothers and the corruption of children when Obito adds more fuel to the fire.

"Your mom's been teaching you about the birds and the bees that young? Unbelievable!"

"Inappropriate!" Madara snaps standing up with his hands on his hips, and glares at Obito's curled up body on the couch, "She should not have taught such things at a young age! Where is her sense of propriety? And what of teaching the new generation the concept of proper decorum and chastity?"

Obito waves those concerns off, "We kill and do dirty jobs even as young as four years old. I don't see what's the issue with knowing adult things that can be useful in the long run, nor do I understand why it got your panties on a bunch, you senile old man."

"Of course, you would not understand, stupid brat. Had Sarada been someone else I would not protest to whatever her mother teaches her, but she is an Uchiha and, therefore, should be a perfect role model of what a proper young lady should be! She has no place knowing such vulgar things until she's way older! Young ladies in my day certainly held no knowledge about the activities between men and women until marriage. I expected the same in this generation but once again my expectations have been ruined!"

"Well that's the problem right there — we are not in your day, people are not expected to follow your expectations, and, most of all, you no longer have the authority to dictate what is best for this family since your defection more than a century ago." 

Obito internally winces. That is a low blow, he knows. Madara's face shows traces of hurt in it for a second and disappears in the next but that is enough to show that Obito's words have affected the other man. He refuses to feel guilty, however. It is best that the elder Uchiha finally gets it into his head that such concerns no longer warrant his attention, in his opinion.

"Think about it — had we remained dead, would you have the power to dictate the affairs of the family? No, you wouldn't. Besides, Sakura knows what she's doing. She probably thought it best to tell Sarada the truth about where babies come from. I've read from one of her magazines that it's more ideal to teach children about sex when they ask that dreaded question. Something about it preventing risky behavior later on as teens," Obito continues, stretching his body on the couch.

Seeing Madara's skeptically look, he asserts, "In any case, it definitely helped remove the awkwardness regarding that topic, don't you think?"

"Hmph! It would have been better if she had given a different explanation. Surely the story of the birds and the bees would have been enough."

"Well she didn't, and Sarada learned about sex far earlier than kids her age. There's nothing you can do about it."

"I will have a word with Sakura about this. This is unacceptable! I will not see the future Uchiha being exposed to vulgar and obscene concepts so young."

Obito sits up, shaking his head. Staring at the other man straight in the eyes, he asks, "What will you do? Intimidate her? Don't bother. She's one of the only four people who faced Kaguya and lived to tell the tale. Right now you are nowhere near as powerful as you were when you obtained the same powers as the Sage of the Six Paths. Your current strength is just as you were prior to obtaining Hashirama's cells and, therefore, not a threatening figure in comparison to Kaguya and even your Sage of the Six Paths form. Moreover, she already surpassed her mentor Tsunade during the war and she was seventeen at the time. Imagine how strong she is now. She is also quite confident of her strength. Your intimidation tactic will only be rendered useless if you do confront her about this matter." 

A thought suddenly surfaces and a grin crosses his face from the new idea. 

"Although I would love to see you two duck it out. I wonder who'll win. Who knows, maybe she'll give you one of the worst thrashing ever."

"Tch, you wish. No one can compare to the fights I had against Hashirama. No woman can change that no matter how strong she is." A sneer crosses Madara's face at the thought of a mere woman giving him a challenge.

The image of Hashirama's granddaughter crosses his mind. The fierceness she has shown against him, her strength that surpasses the Raikage, and the healing jutsu that allows her to fight on the front line despite being a medic. Prior to that point, he didn't believe anyone to be capable of healing themselves. Hashirama being the only exception, as he always was.

She may not have the same strength as that of her grandfather, but what she does have is impressive on its own. He, at the very least, can recognize strength when he sees it and her display of power during the war deserves his recognition. He is also intrigued by the seal on her forehead that allows her to regenerate. Even though it is not of the same caliber as Hashirama's, the fact that she can regenerate at all is remarkable.

The only reason she had lost against him, aside from the obvious gap in power, was thanks to her bisection in his hands, after all.

'Hn,' a contemplative gleam apparent in his eyes, 'perhaps there is a bit of truth in Obito's words.' 

"Well, this is one story I hope will never reach the ears of the Senju although the chances of that happening is slim with Naruto probably telling them." The man in question breaks his train of thoughts.

He groans. Now that is something he certainly does not want Hashirama to know, or even worse Tobirama. He can only imagine that blasted man's reaction if he were to know about this.


End file.
